Samaritans on the Digital Road

posted Sep 26, 2017, 9:58 AM by Deanna Pinsent

Dear Parent/Guardian,

At the Ottawa Catholic School Board, we believe that it is our shared responsibility as educators and parents/guardians to ensure that students are equipped to behave as responsible Digital Citizens in an increasingly complex digital world. It is likely that starting in their elementary years, many children have already gained access to the internet, perhaps even outside of the home or the classroom, in an unsupervised environment, such as through a friend’s phone.

Staff at OCSB work diligently with students each year to ensure that they are using digital tools in appropriate, productive and responsible ways to support their learning. Our Board has developed a series of age-appropriate lessons for each grade level from Kindergarten to Grade 12 through the Samaritans on the Digital Road program. This curriculum is designed to develop students’ understanding that their citizenship and efforts to live gospel values extends to their presence in the digital world.

Please take the time to visit the Samaritans on the Digital Road website at samaritans.ocsb.ca where you can find the curriculum as well as additional resources for parents/guardians to support their journey along the “Digital Road.” Look for an Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement to be sent home before the end of September. Please review it carefully with your son/daughter before signing it and returning it to school.